Toy observation cars



Jan. 29, 1957 Filed Oct. 26, 1955 M. ZION TOY OBSERVATION CARS 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Jan. 29, 1957 M. ZION 2,779,133

TOY OBSERVATION CARS Filed Oct. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR M0555 Z/o/v ATTORNEY United States Patent ice $3 ,23 3

roY OBSERVATION cans Moses Zion, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to The Lionel gorporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New ork Application October 26, 1953, Serial No. 388,324

8 Claims. c1. 46-426) The present invention relates to toy observation cars and is more particularly directed toward toy observation cars shaped to simulate observation cars used in streamlined trains of regular railroads.

One of the changes made in the design of railroad trains when they were streamlined was to redesign the rear end of the observation car to eliminate the open platform. This redesign changed the car so that the platform was totally enclosed and all parts were streamlined to reduce air friction.

The present invention relates to toy railroad cars of the observation car type designed to simulate in general appearance the full sized observation car. The construction employed is suitable for toy cars. According to the present invention, the body of the observation car is made from a suitable length of extruded metal car body stock such as used in constructing the other cars of the streamlined train. The length of the extrusion used is slightly longer than the length of the finished car. A portion of the roof .and of the upper rear side walls of the extrusion is cut away, leaving the relatively narrow portion of the side wall of the streamlined extrusion intact. These ends are bent toward one another to have elliptical arcuate shape, the extreme ends of the extrusion being spaced sufficiently to form a rear car doorway.

The upper opening provided by cutting away portions of the body is closed by a roof piece or insert of suitable shape. Another platform piece or insert is positioned below the car floor and a door simulating piece is in serted into the doorway. These additional pieces are secured to the car body so as to completely close the rear end of the observation car body. These parts are made in shape to simulate the corresponding parts of a full sized observation car.

In order to provide realistic signaling at the rear of the toy train, the roof piece is provided with light transmitting elements which pipe light through the roof piece and provide lighted signals. These light transmitting pieces receive light from a lamp inside the car body.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention one embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a streamlined toy observation car;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective View of the same at larger scale;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a car body similar to Figure 3 and illustrating the manner in which the body is formed;

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the toy observation car taken on the line i --4 of Figures 5, 6 and 7;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an inverted plan view of the car body taken in the direction of the arrow 6 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 88 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an enlarged section on the line 4--4 of Figure 5; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary section taken on the line l010 of Figures 4 and 5.

The toy car generally indicated at C in the drawings has a body 10 made from a suitable length of inverted channel-shaped extrusion. This extrusion has a domed roof portion 11 and side wall portions 12, 12. The side Wall portions have ribs 13, 13 adapted to receive window insert strips 14 and slots 15 adapted to receive a floor plate 16. Suitable window openings 17 are punched in the side walls. The floor plate 16 is secured to suitable trucks generally indicated at T, whereby the car may be guided along the toy railroad track. The trucks are arranged to collect current from the third rail and light a lamp L, such truck structure, however, forming no part of the present invention.

In the manufacture of the observation car body from the length of extruded car bodyrstock, the piece of stock is cut somewhat longer than the finished length of the completed car. The rear end of the roof portion 11 and the upper portions of the side walls l2, 12 are cut away as indicated at 20a, 20b and 20c, Figures 2 and 3. The lower portions of the side walls are also cut away as indicated at 21, 21 in these figures. The blank is then of the shape indicated in Figure 3. The narrow side wall por tions 22, 22 are then bent to elliptical arcs as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, the ends of the side wall elements being spaced to form a doorway 23. A roofforming piece 30 occupies the space provided by the upper cut-out, a platform simulating piece 31' occupies the space provided below the portions 22 of the car sides, and an insert or filler 32 is adapted to fill in the doorway. While the car body is generally made of extruded aluminum the inserts 30, 31 and 32 are preferably made of plastic moldings suitably coated with aluminum lacquer so that the entire car presents the appearance of being made of the same material. The roof piece 30 has a flat bottom 35 which closely approximates the shape of one end of an ellipse. It has prongs 36, 36 and 37, 37 which are inside the wall elements 22, 22 of the car body to align the roof piece and car body, and has a front flange 38 which passes under the rear end of the roof part 11 of the car body. The roof piece 30 is provided with laterally disclosed holes 39, 3 9 which receive transparent light piping members 40, 40. These members 40, 49 are preferably made of red material and each has a face 40a to receive light from the lamp and a reflecting face 40b to reflect the light out through the lantern simulating end 40c. At the center, the roof piece 30 is provided with a hole 41 adapted to receive a clear insert 42 which is adapted to pipe light from the inside of the car to provide a center or rear signal or lamp.

The platform simulating piece 31 has upwardly extending projections 43, 44 disposed to fit inside the lower edges of the side walls 22, 22 and align the platform member with the car body. The piece 31 has downwardly extending elements indicated at 45 and a dummy coupler 46 simulating the rear coupler of a streamlined railroad car. The rear door simulating member 32 has an upwardly extending tab 50 adapted to enter a recess 51 in the root piece and a downwardly projecting tab 52 adapted to enter a recess 53 in the platform piece. It carries a transparent sheet of material 54 providing a closed window for the door.

In order to facilitate securing the inserts 30, 31 and 32 to the metal car body, the under face of the roof piece 30 is provided with a forwardly opening slot 55 to receive the head 56 of a bolt 57, and this bolt is passed down through a hole 58 in the car floor and a hole 59 in the platform piece 31. The bolt receives a nut 60. The belt thus clamps the roof piece 30 and the platform piece 31 against the inwardly bent ends of the car body and locks the door piece 32 in place. As the bolt passes through the floor member 16, it also assures proper positioning of all the parts.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

l. A streamlined toy observation car having a body portion shaped to simulate a streamlined railroad observation car except for the rear roof portion, the rear platform portion and the rear door, three inserts, one simulating the rear roof portion, one simulating the rear platform portion and one simulating the rear door, the top and bottom of the door simulating portion having elements which interlock with elements on the roof simulating portion and the rear platform simulating portion to maintain alignment therebetween, and means to secure the inserts to the body.

2. A streamlined toy observation car having a body whose side walls extend to the rear end of the car and whose roof and upper side walls are cut away so that the body opens upwardly, a floor plate extending lengthwise of the car body and to the rear of the cut away portion, a roof simulating piece closing the upwardly opening space, a bottom platform simulating piece below the fioor plate, and a bolt passing through an opening in the floor plate and clamping the roof piece and the platform piece against the upper and lower edges of the side walls.

3. A streamlined toy observation car such as claimed in claim 2, having an end piece interlocked with the roof piece and platform piece and closing the rear end of the car.

4. A streamlined toy observation car comprising a unitary body part having a roof-forming top wall and side walls of uniform cross-section lengthwise of the car except at the end thereof, the end of the body having narrow side walls only, whose upper edges are below the level of the top wall of the body and whose lower edges are above the level of the lower edges of the side wall, said narrowed side walls converging toward one another to simulate the rear side Walls of a streamlined observation car, an upper insert on the upper edges of the narrowed side walls and shaped to simulate the rear portion of the roof of a streamlined observation car, a bottom insert under the lower edges of the narrowed side Walls and shaped to simulate the rear platform portion of a streamlined observation car, an end insert between the upper and lower inserts and the vertical edges of the narrowed side walls, and means to secure the inserts to the body part.

5. A toy observation car roof forming piece in the form of a molding having a flat base of substantially the contour of the end half of an ellipse and domed from side to side and open at the wide or front end, the molding having side openings near the wide or front end and an opening at the rear or narrow end, and light transmitting signal elements extending through said openings and adapted to pipe light through the same.

6. A streamlined toy observation car having a body portion shaped to simulate a streamlined railroad observation car except for the rear roof portion, the rear platform portion and the rear door, three inserts, one simulating the rear roof portion, one simulating the rear platform portion and one simulating the rear door, the first and second inserts having elements interlocking with elements in the third insert to hold the latter in place and a bolt interconnecting the roof and platform simulating elements to secure the inserts to the body.

7. A streamlined toy observation car having a body portion shaped to simulate a streamlined railroad observation car except for the rear roof portion, the rear platform portion and the rear door, three inserts, one simulating the rear roof portion, one simulating the rear platform portion and one simulating the rear door, and a bolt having its head received in a slot in the lower face of the roof insert and its lower end extending through a hole in the platform insert and acting to secure the inserts to the body.

8. A streamlined toy observation car having a body portion shaped to simulate a streamlined railroad observation car except for the rear roof portion, the rear platform portion and the rear door, three inserts, one simulating the rear roof portion, one simulating the rear platk form portion and one simulating the rear door, the roof insert having two side lanterns and a rear lantern, each in the form of a light transmitting rod extending through a hole in the roof insert and adapted to transmit light produced interior of the car through the same and out of the car and means to secure the inserts to the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

